Rocca Aldobrandesca Castle
LISTEN TO AN ANCIENT STORY...
Watch your step as you cross the hilly terrain to explore the wonderful ancient fortress of Rocca Aldobrandesca or Rocca of Tentennano. Make your way from the nearest destination to SS2 'Cassia' and as you turn to the right you will find pointers, 'Rocca D'Orcia/Castiglione D'Orcia' to the once mighty castle. Stand on the pianoro and survey the verdant flora and fauna and walk among its leafy ferns and age-old chestnut trees. Hear the battle cry of invaders as they clashed swords trying to take the castle with its cunningly wrought tower with movable stairs.
Come and see the craggy hillside where the Rocca Aldobrandesca stands with its tower carved into a rough outcrop of rock. Situated on the medieval suburb of Rocca D'Orcia in the Val D'Orcia nestled in the province of Siena the wind whispers through the old crevices in its ruins of pride, war and craftsmanship. View the arena of historical episodes where the Rocca Aldobrandesca changed owners and hands. Walk through the ancient settlement built during the Medieval Age, with its lonely neighboring Parish. Come and sit on its green carpet and as you eat your delicious lunch, listen to tales of yore as the castle stands as a silent yet formidable witness. Walk with care through the Rocca Aldobrandesca and see the thick walls that enclose a curiously shaped courtyard. Notice the three huge towers that rise from the outcrop of rock. Go through the castle's differently shaped towers and find that the round tower has a rounded out arch, the second with a square shaped tower and curved arch and the last rectangular shaped tower with a rectangular arch.
Step into its interior made of limestone with a pyramid arch and look into a deep moat that was built to keep intruders away. Though little of this once mighty fortress remains today, the north plateau commands a lovely view of the Orcia Valley. The pentagonal structure of the walls still contains traces of the old battlements and its extrusion of hilly rock. If you look closely you will find a walled hollow which might have been the powder magazine storehouse of this military fortress. As an interesting fact, from the courtyard a metal stairway had been erected as movable stairs which could be pulled up in case of attack or an emergency.
Walk with the warlords of ancient Tuscany and meet the feudal family of Aldobrandeschi of Santa Fiora. Built by this powerful family in the south of Tuscany in the 10th century, the Castiglione D'Orcia is the oldest building in the area. The old fortress rests precariously on an extruding hilly crag and rises imposingly to a height of 574 meters up the slope. Located strategically on the old road ridden with secrets from the past, the fortress of the Rocca of Tentennano was in full control of all the surrounding areas and roads. But due to the rising trade and traffic of the 13th century, the family of Aldobrandeschi who controlled the road faced dire threat from the neighboring cities of Siena and Grosseto. It was later handed over to the Orsini family. Go back into ancient times and stand on this strategic road that led to the old fortress and face not only the ruling parties but also the family of Salimbeni and the monks of the Mount Amiata Abbey.
The city of Siena took possession of the castle and tried to restore it to its original magnificence. But in 1274, the fortress was given to the Salimbeni feudal family along with other areas of the Val D'Orcia. The Salimbeni family tried to wrest the power of the city from Siena. During the 13th century, the city of Siena went through a lot of struggle and finally the feud ended between Siena and the Salimbeni with the Salimbeni family stripped of their possessions and exiled. As the Senese governing party took over, the 16th century saw the taking over of the fortress and the surrounding lands by the Tuscan Grand Duchy. But at the end of the 'War of Siena', the old fortress was abandoned as its military importance waned after the advent of new firearms. With its defensive function lost, the Rocca Aldobrandesca was in a state of decay especially after the terrible bombing during Second World War.
Visit the castle which is of utmost value and go through its records of history and the changes in its architectural structure. Walk through the area that was once filled with grandeur and look at the innumerable caves and tombs covered with Nature's handiwork.
WITNESS A HISTORICAL DESTINATION...